1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to roadway preparation and maintenance equipment. More specifically, the present invention is drawn to a vehicle for pre-marking pavement with paint marking guides.
2. Description of the Related Art
Installing properly located, painted lines which define the center line and/or lanes on paved road surfaces is a critical element necessary for ensuring highway and road safety. Before the painted lines can be applied, the pavement must be pre-marked with reference lines to determine the precise location where the painted lines should be applied.
Conventionally, pre-marking is mostly accomplished manually and requires that personnel walk along the paved road and employ a tape measure, rope or the like to determine the proper measurements from the curb or edge of the roadway. A can of spray paint is used to pre-mark the pavement. Aside from being time consuming, this endeavor is especially dangerous. Personnel must be constantly vigilant to the hazards which may arise from errant motorists. Further, the paint-sprayed reference markings leave ugly discolorations on the roadway which take a while to wear away. The current industry standard is that a three person team can be expected to cover ten miles per day under normal circumstances.
A machine which requires fewer personnel and can safely apply reference markings at many times the current rate would certainly be a welcome addition to the art.
An example of a system utilized to pre-mark a street is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,966 (St-Louis et al.). Although the system is mounted on a vehicle, a worker must be positioned and walk along the edge of the roadway while holding a reflector which is mounted on a pole. Alternatively, an array of reflectors is mounted at distances along the edge of the roadway. Mounting the array of reflectors can be costly and time consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,044,558 (Ball), U.S. Pat. No. 2,940,105 (Woellwarth), U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,190 (Glassel), U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,251 (Bresnen) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,854 (Correa et al.) all disclose vehicular systems for applying painted stripes to roadways after pre-marking has been accomplished. Note that the Correa et al. system is similar to the system shown in St-Louis et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,624,602 (Kieffer et al.) is drawn to a manually-operated line striper especially adapted for parking lots and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,052,077 (Gustafson et al.) disclose a machine for marking lines on grass athletic fields.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to disclose a striping layout machine as will be subsequently described and claimed in the instant invention.
The machine of the present invention is adapted to apply reference marks to a roadway in a safe and expedient manner. The machine has an array of features to enhance the safety of operating personnel as well as passing motorists. Totally enclosed therein a maximum of only two persons is required to operate the machine. Equally effective on surfaces of different types, the machine has the capability to pre-mark as much as twenty miles of roadway in an hour. A unique, telescoping feature produces layout lines which may range from zero to twenty feet. The machine employs a lime and water solution instead of paint. The lime and water solution is not permanent and will wash away at the first rain after the roadway has been striped, thereby leaving an unmarred, clean stripe.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a machine, which machine is adapted to lay out reference markings for striping on roadways.
It is another object of the invention to provide a machine adapted to lay out reference markings, which machine incorporates an array of safety features.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a machine adapted to lay out reference markings, which machine requires a minimum number of personnel.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a machine, which machine is capable of effectively pre-marking roadways at many times the rate currently recognized as the industry standard.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which are inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing their intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.